Inevitable
by Ranta
Summary: He, her best friend, is in love with her. They, her ex-boyfriends, never even cared about her. Why can't she see that? AxA
1. Chapter 1

**Hey again everyone! HUGE thanks to everyone who's read or reviewed my last story, Drowning. (/shameless plug) I'm back with another story, but I can't decide whether or not it should be left as is or turned into a two-shot or something even bigger. Suggestions, opinions, random comments and constructive criticisms are always welcomed. Hope you all like the story! Oh, but I should warn you that Archie and Atlanta (Atlanta especially) are pretty OC, for which I apologize. If I do write more for this, I promise to try and make them actually in character for once!**

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It was the end of the school day, and Archie should have been happy. But instead, he merely clenched his jaw and tried not to scream as he shut his locker and turned to see Atlanta- _his_ Atlanta- walking down the hallway in the arms of some other guy. Archie didn't know the new guy's name- it was something along the lines of Brad, or maybe Brian- but the warrior did know from experience that this meant trouble.

Archie had to admit that when it came to things like sports and movies, Atlanta had great taste. But when it came to guys she was, simply put, a magnet for jerks, creeps and players. She'd had a whole slew of boyfriends lately, beginning with a creepy half goat named Pan who had tried to destroy the world, and ending with this guy, who currently boasted the school record for largest number of simultaneous girlfriends. Atlanta, of course, remained oblivious to this fact, just as she remained oblivious to all of Archie's hints- both subtle and blatantly obvious- that maybe she should stop dating all of these idiots and settle for someone more dependable. Say…a close friend, for example. A best friend. Preferably one with purple hair and an oversized ego.

For her part, Atlanta looked perfectly happy standing next to the Brad/Brian guy, but Archie caught all of the suggestive glances- and even the occasional wink- that the huntress' boyfriend sent at just about every girl who passed them by. The warrior growled internally, feeling his blood boil with rage. This creep didn't even deserve to be in the same room with Atlanta, never mind being her boyfriend. Of course, he wouldn't be for long. None of Atlanta's relationships had lasted for more than two weeks tops, and they always ended the same way: with a kiss placed on another girl, a fight, and a beautiful redhead left to sob and wonder why she was never good enough to keep.

Archie was always the first to know when there had been a breakup. He would usually just be sitting on his bed reading poetry or doing homework when the door would suddenly burst open and Atlanta would shoot into the room with superhuman speed, flinging herself at Archie and nearly knocking him onto the floor with the impact. She would grab his sweater as though it was a lifeline, unable to stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Those were the only times that she allowed herself to cry.

Archie would do his best to comfort her, awkwardly patting her back and holding her close and whispering praise and encouragement in her ear. His heart ached every time she let loose another sob, and he tried time and time again to say the words that he wanted- no, _needed_- her to hear. That she was amazing. That she was beautiful. That he loved her. But the words never came out in time, and before long Atlanta would be going out with another guy who treated her like crap and broke her heart. It was unbearable.

So Archie watched the pair walk down the hallway, feeling an unavoidable sense of doom as Brad/Brian turned and whistled softly at a passing eleventh grader. Atlanta gasped, her eyes shocked and hurt. She and her now ex-boyfriend began shouting at each other, tears in her eyes and anger in his. Archie stepped forwards to help, but Atlanta was already gone, tearing through the hallways as Brad/Brian watched with a look of boredom on his face, still staring at the eleventh grader out of the corner of his eye. Furious, Archie debated on whether to confront him or to chase after Atlanta. He decided on the latter, well aware that the jerk (whatever his name was), would still be at school the next day, and that the love of his life was probably halfway home already and would soon be preparing to fling herself onto an empty bed. Archie began to run after her, calling her name and hearing no answer, and by the time he reached the brownstone he was tired and out of breath but he couldn't care less. He ignored the strange looks that his teammates gave him as he dashed to his room, flinging the door open and almost beginning to cry himself as he saw Atlanta curled up on the bed as usual, shaking slightly from the force of the tears that streamed down her cheeks. He stared at her helplessly, wanting nothing more than to hug her and kiss her and love her openly and be loved in return. She looked up then and saw him, and in spite of herself a small smile crossed her beautiful features, out of place among the tears.

Archie's head swam with feelings of sadness and frustration and love. The words were pressing at his lips again, trying to break free and be heard. Don't cry. You're perfect. I love you. Archie opened his mouth but found that he could not speak, and so he merely held open his arms instead and Atlanta threw herself into them. He calmed her and he soothed her and eventually he even laughed with her, and before long the two of them were wrestling and joking and arguing like always. But when Atlanta left the room smiling and ready for a shopping expedition with Theresa, Archie felt only sadness. He watched from his window as she wandered outside with the older girl and the two of them climbed into a bright red sports car, driving off to the mall, a place with potential boyfriends and girls to steal those same potential boyfriends away. Archie prayed that if Atlanta absolutely _had_ to meet a guy, he would be kind and caring and treat her like the goddess that she was. But Archie knew Atlanta as surely as he loved her, and so he knew that all he could do now was sit on his bed and open his arms and wait for the inevitable.


	2. Chapter 2

**Before I say anything else, I want to say this: Thanks so much for the reviews, everyone: they really mean a lot. I know that that sounds completely cheesy and cliche, but it's totally true. )**

**Anyway, I have a nagging feeling that I should have left this story as a one-shot...but I got bored, which led to writing, which led to this. So, I present to you...the second chapter of Inevitable!** **I hope that you all like it...and as always, reviews are more than appreciated!**

"I watch you breathe,

I watch you smile.

Your laugh?

Infectious.

Your eyes?

Enchanting.

Your lips-"

Atlanta stopped reading and looked up at the purple-haired boy sitting on the bed beside her, giggling softly. "Arch? Uh…this one's kind of creepy."

Archie furrowed his brow, looking down at the red-head in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You know…stalker-ish. Is that a word? 'Cause if not, it should be." Atlanta mused, running a hand through her hair absentmindedly. Archie shook his head with a small smile, wondering what Atlanta would think if she knew that _she_ was actually the subject of his so called 'stalker-ish' poem. The warrior was jolted from his thoughts as Atlanta tapped him on the shoulder and held out her hand expectantly. "Next poem, please!"

"I dunno, you've read eight of them already…" Archie teased, watching as Atlanta's face collapsed into a pout. "...I'm beginning to think that this isn't so much about you getting over your breakup as it is about having make-fun-of-Archie time."

"Aw, come on Arch! One more?"

"…One. But that's it." Archie said, turning to rummage through the pile of papers behind him. He flipped through the sheets, trying to find one that was actually half-decent and that didn't mention the words 'Atlanta' and 'love' in the same sentence. Nothing seemed to fit his criteria.

"Tick tock, tick tock…" Atlanta laughed, growing impatient. "I don't have all day, Archie! I've got a date tonight." At this, Archie froze. He put down his papers and turned to the huntress.

"You've got a _what_? With who?" His voice was low and almost threatening, but all the same it cracked slightly as he spoke. Atlanta rolled her eyes as she responded.

"A date, Archie. With this guy named Gus Addison. Do you know him?"

"Yes, I do. And no, you don't." Archie growled, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "You're not going out with him tonight, Atlanta. That guy's the lowest of the low."

"Excuse me?" Atlanta snapped, her tone incredulous. "Who are you to tell me who I can and can't go out with?"

"Your _friend_!" Archie shouted, but he then lowered his voice and continued speaking. "Listen to me, Atlanta. You don't know that guy's reputation, do you? He goes out with a different girl practically every night of the week. The only thing he'll do tonight is try and score with you, and when you turn him down he'll break up with you. He always does."

"Oh, yeah right Archie!" Atlanta leapt up off the bed and Archie followed suit. "You know I don't believe that for a second. And besides…" Atlanta's eyes narrowed and she took a step towards the warrior, an evil grin crossing her face. "…What makes you so sure that I'd turn him down?" At this, Archie jumped at the huntress and grabbed her shirt in his fist, bending down so that he was at her eye level.

"Because, _idiot_, you're Atlanta. You're the girl who can beat even the fastest Olympic athlete in a race, any day of the week. You're the girl who has never even kissed a guy without being hypnotized while doing it, and whose ex-boyfriends have all broken up with you because of that. Not because you weren't pretty enough, or smart enough, or fun enough- because they were all creeps who only cared about getting some action, and didn't want to waste time in a relationship when they weren't." Atlanta's eyes went wide, and Archie nodded. "It's true, you know. Ask anyone. Atlanta, you're my best friend. I know you like the back of my hand. And I know that you would never, _ever_ sleep with a guy that you've practically just met. And if I'm wrong, then go off and have your date…but don't expect me to be here when you come home crying. Again." Archie paused, studying Atlanta's face as her expression changed from furious, to shocked, to upset. The huntress collapsed right there on the floor, staring wordlessly at the wall as she bit back tears. Archie moved to sit beside her, and the two of them sat in silence for what felt like a never-ending moment.

"I…I wouldn't sleep with him, you know." Atlanta said finally, still unmoving. Archie nodded.

"I know."

Another minute passed.

"You've got something on your face." Archie muttered, leaning over to wipe a piece of dirt off of Atlanta's cheek.

"Well gee, don't I feel pretty." The huntress muttered sarcastically, but she stopped short as she noticed that Archie's eyes were trained on her, almost as if studying her. His hand hadn't left her face.

"You should."

"What?" Atlanta was shocked. Archie thought that she was pretty? But the warrior ignored her question and withdrew his hand, turning away.

"Atlanta? What would you do if I told you that someone is in love with you?" He asked, a faint blush creeping across his cheeks and growing more and more prominent as the seconds ticked by.

"Um…I don't know...depends on who it was, I guess."

"What if it was Neil?" Archie asked, still refusing to meet Atlanta's gaze.

"Uh, no thanks. …It's not Neil, right?" Atlanta replied worriedly, and at this Archie shook his head and opened his mouth again.

"How about Jay?"

"I'd die. Theresa would probably kill me herself."

"Odie?"

"He's okay, but I don't think I'd date him or anything. Why are you asking me this stuff, anyway?"

"What if it was Herry?" Archie blurted, not even bothering to wait for an answer before continuing his list. "Pan? Adonis? Zeus? Martin?"

"Who? Archie, we don't know anyone named Martin."

"What if it was Cronus?"

"Ugh! For the love of the gods, be serious!"

"…What if it was me?" Archie's voice was now barely audible. Atlanta gasped softly, suddenly understanding where the conversation was headed. Her head was swimming. Was it just her, or was the room suddenly burning hot? She briefly wondered if someone had turned had turned off the air conditioning, but snapped back to reality as soon as she realized that Archie was done listing names and was now waiting anxiously for her reply. Half joking but unsmiling, Atlanta responded.

"I said be serious."

**Ooh...attempted cliffy. P**

**Yes, there will be (at least) one more chapter in this story! (I hope that's good news...xD) Reviews are always welcomed, be they comments/complaints/suggestions/...well...slash anything, really! I also wanted to apologize for the typos that are almost certainly lurking somewhere in this story...I can never seem to catch those, no matter how many times I proofread. headdesk **


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I finally updated! Again, thanks so much to everyone who's read and reviewed this story. :) I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I wanted to get it written before the next, you know, _century_, and this was the best I could come up with. **

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She might as well have slapped him.

Heck, she should have slapped him- and hard. Maybe then he would've just fallen unconscious. Maybe then he wouldn't have heard those words, those cutting words that pierced his heart like Cronus' scythe and made an irreparable tear in the fabric of their friendship. Oh, god…their friendship. Had he messed it up? Was it over? Archie cringed at the thought. He'd never had many friends, and he'd certainly never had a best friend.

Not before Atlanta.

"Don't hate me." He mumbled, shifting slightly closer to the redhead but still keeping a decent amount of space between them. Atlanta didn't react. She sat frozen, staring off into space and biting her lip. Archie didn't know whether to be upset at the lack of a response, or relieved at the fact that she didn't move away. Hesitantly, he scooted even closer. "Please, Atlanta. Please don't hate me."

Atlanta's head was spinning. He loved her. Her _best friend_ was in love with her. But how much? For how long? His lips were moving. He was talking to her, but what was he saying? She was only half paying attention, still caught up in her thoughts. And now…oh, gods. He was moving towards her. Was he going to hug her? He spoke again. Moved again.

…Was he going to kiss her?

_Gods, I hope so. _Atlanta thought, almost dreamily.

Wait, what?

Her feelings confused her. Scared her. Heck, even that was an understatement. They terrified her. The huntress suddenly leapt to her feet, startling Archie and sprinting out of the room as fast as…well, as fast as Atlanta. "My date's in half an hour." She threw the words over her shoulder as she darted down the hallway, and Archie barely heard the statement over the sound of the bedroom door slamming behind her. After a beat, he buried his head in his hands, leaning back against the bed with a noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a groan.

That was it, then.

No; "I love you too, Arch!" No kiss. No hug. Not even an; "Of course I don't hate you…but I'd really rather just be friends right now."

She'd run away. As if disgusted by him. Afraid of him.

Forget friendship, let alone dating. He'd count himself lucky if she ever even spoke to him again.

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Atlanta hung up the phone with an audible sigh, drawing the attention of the redheaded girl who just happened to be walking past. Theresa turned at the sound and wandered over to the huntress, wrapping an arm around the younger girl's shoulders.

"Everything okay?"

"I called Gus and cancelled our date." Atlanta mumbled, relaxing into Theresa's embrace.

"What? Oh, thank god, Lannie! That guy's such a jerk." Theresa exclaimed excitedly. "What did you tell him?"

"That I didn't feel good." Atlanta stated simply. Theresa frowned.

"You're not getting sick or something, are you?" She asked. Atlanta shook her head.

"I said that I felt bad…I never specified that I felt _sick_. It…wasn't exactly a lie."

"What happened, Lan?" Theresa questioned, pulling away slightly and giving the huntress a questioning look. Atlanta gave an exasperated cry and strode towards the window, startling her companion. Without warning, she spun around to face Theresa again, throwing her arms up in the air as she did so.

"I don't know what happened, that's the problem! One minute Archie and I were just hanging out, and the next he told me…well…he _implied_ that he was in love with me or something. Maybe he isn't, I don't know, but I could've sworn that that's what he was trying to say. And then I freaked out, and he leaned in, and I thought that he was going to…to _kiss _me. And then I…then I…" Atlanta trailed off, biting her lip nervously.

"Then you what, Atlanta?" Theresa prodded, looking concerned.

"And then I…oh my god, Terry. And then I _wanted_ him to. There! I said it! I wanted Archie-my best friend _Archie_- to kiss me."

Had it not been for Atlanta's obvious distress, Theresa would have grinned. Instead, she merely pulled the younger girl in for a hug and whispered consolingly; "Oh, Lannie…"

Atlanta shook her head vigorously, moving away. "But after that…I ran. It scared me, Terry! I've never felt like this before. Well, I kind of did with Pan, but the feeling wasn't this…_strong_, you know? It felt like…well, it felt like whatever you must feel

when you look at Jay."

Theresa coughed loudly, her face suddenly changing colour so that it rivaled Atlanta's hair. Oblivious, the huntress continued her rant.

"And that's why I left. And now he hates me! I know that he hates me. He'd be an idiot _not_ to hate me." She paused. "Well, he is an idiot, but still. And now he's probably never going to want to go running with me again, or go boarding, or watch a movie with me, or go to the mall, or-"

"_Atlanta._" Theresa cut her off sharply, her tone a hundred percent serious. "Archie doesn't hate you. Just trust me on this. But you do need to talk to him. Sort things out. You know?"

"And tell him what?"

"The truth. Just… tell him that you love him." A soft smile crossed Theresa's face as she spoke, and Atlanta paled at her words.

"What? But Terry, I don't- I mean…" She rolled her eyes, taking on a defeated expression. She turned to walk away, but stopped when the reached the next room. She turned to the fighter and said simply; "But just because I'm in love with him, it doesn't mean that I don't still think of him as a dork."

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**Chances are that there will be only one more chapter before the end of the story. I was actually going to finish it off in this chapter, but then I added in a bunch of random stuff and it started getting too long...so another chapter it is! I promise to try and update more quickly this time.**

**As always, reviews are more than welcome!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter, and I'm very sorry for making you all wait so long for this one! I hope you like it!**

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"I still don't get why I'm here." Theresa muttered. She was standing directly in front of a large sign with the words 'Keep Out!' written on it in bold red ink. "You have to do this on your own, Atlanta."

"You don't have to say anything, Theresa! I just need you to make sure that I don't chicken out or something." The huntress pointed at the large wooden door that stood in front of the two friends. "Now knock." She instructed.

"What? Why _me_?"

"Because _I've_ tried to knock five times already, and I keep walking away right before I do." Atlanta replied, making sure not to talk too loudly in case Archie could hear them from the confines of his bedroom.

"Okay, fine. But once Archie answers the door, you're on your own. Deal?" Theresa waited until she received a nod from Atlanta and then knocked on the door three times. For a second, Atlanta stood still, but then footsteps were heard from inside the warrior's room and she turned to bolt. "_Atlanta_!" Theresa hissed. She grabbed the younger girl by the shoulders in an effort to keep her from running away, and all the while Atlanta struggled to get past.

"What?" Someone asked bitterly. "Trying to run from me again?" Both teens turned to see Archie standing in his doorway, scowling as he eyed a wide-eyed Atlanta. The anger was evident in his voice, but all the same it cracked as he spoke.

"I'm going to kill you!" Atlanta suddenly shrieked. All of her nerves faded to anger as she spun around and stomped towards the speaker, leaving a startled Theresa behind her. "You have _no right_ to-"

"_Me_?" Archie countered. "What the heck did _I _do? _You're _the one who-"

"Well, if _you_ hadn't gone and-"

"If I hadn't _what_? _Fallen in love with you_?" Archie's voice rose to a shout, and he was practically shaking with a combination of sadness and anger. "Well, if _that's_ what you're so upset about, don't worry- because I'm starting to wish that I hadn't."

As soon as the words spilled from his mouth, he began to wish that they'd never been spoken.

"_Great_." Atlanta spat. Her eyes were downcast, and Archie found it impossible to say whether she was furious, upset, or both. "Just _great_. Glad to see the feeling's mutual."

"Atlanta, wait-" Archie started, but his words were only met by the sound of his door slamming as Atlanta stormed out into the hallway, pulling Theresa with her as she went. His thoughts were a blur as he sank down onto his bed, mentally berating himself for his words. He hadn't meant them. Of course he hadn't meant them. But he was a warrior who had been trained to hit below the belt, and at times it was easier to sling words than throw punches.

For the second time that day, he was jolted from his thoughts by a knock on the door, which he opened only to discover a furious Theresa standing before him.

"Apologize." She hissed.

"_Get out_." Archie growled, moving to slam the door in front of his teammate. Unfortunately, Theresa was too fast for him. Her foot was jammed between the door and the wall in an instant, preventing it from closing.

"Atlanta's in her room, okay? _Crying. _Do you have any idea how much it takes to make Atlanta cry?"

"Of course I do. I'm her best friend, remember?"

"_Ex_-best friend. All thanks to your stupid ego and your big mouth!" Theresa yelled, on the verge of tears herself. After a moment, Archie pulled the door farther open, allowing the psychic to see him. He looked upset. Depressed, even. For the first time, Theresa saw him without his wall to protect him. The real Archie.

When he spoke, his voice was meek. "…Is she really crying?"

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She was.

The huntress was seated on a wooden chair in the corner of her room, staring out the window. She never moved, save for the occasional shaking that accompanied her tears. She didn't notice Archie as he came up behind her.

"…Atlanta? Are you okay?" The warrior asked, crouching down awkwardly beside her. She turned away from him, scoffing as if to say "Stupid question". Archie sighed, shifting closer and swallowing his pride. "Uh…okay, don't' look at me, then. Just listen, alright? I wanted to tell you that I'm really… uh… I'm sorry."

No answer. Archie gulped nervously. "…Atlanta? I'm not really good with apologizing, but…" Tentatively, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "…I just wanted to-"

"Get away from me!" Atlanta huffed, pushing Archie's hand back towards him and jumping off of the chair. "Just leave me alone, alright?" She stormed over to her bed and plunked herself down on it, still facing away from the warrior.

Hours seemed to pass before Archie got up the nerve to try again.

"I know you hate me." He muttered, slowly walking towards where the huntress sat. "And that you probably-"

"I don't _hate_ you." Atlanta sighed, almost inaudibly. "I just… you're the biggest, stupidest dork that ever lived, is all. And probably the jerkiest too."

"I know." Archie groaned, climbing onto the bed behind her. "Believe me, I know." He moved even closer to the huntress, and she leaned back into him in unspoken forgiveness, placing her head gently on his chest.

"So why'd you say it?" She asked him softly, protectively wrapping her arms around herself. She felt him shrug in response.

"…Because of what you said, I guess." Archie admitted. "I mean, 'be serious'? I waited so long to tell you, and that's what I get. How could you be so-" Atlanta stiffened and he bit his tongue, allowing himself to calm down before continuing. "…Never mind."

"It surprised me, is all." Atlanta mused. "I mean, how was I supposed to know that you felt like that? And even if I'd guessed, I wouldn't have expected you to… you know… to say it." She paused, smiling a little as Archie reached up to tangle his fingers in his hair. "Actually…" She admitted with a sheepish grin, turning to face her companion; "…I did guess."

"Yeah?" Archie asked, grinning stupidly at the fact that Atlanta was finally speaking to him again. But his face fell as soon as another thought entered his mind. "So… _I'm_ guessing that you don't feel the same way."

"I like you a lot." The huntress said quickly. "…As a friend." Archie bit back tears, reminding himself sternly that crying would get him nowhere. Friendship was enough to satisfy him, right? But no, he realized suddenly. It would never be enough. He loved her. He loved her more than anyone, and something inside of him desperately needed her to feel the same. "But…" Atlanta murmured, jolting him from his thoughts. "I… I'm kind of starting to like you as more."

And at that, Archie smiled wider than he ever had in his life.

"I love you." He said warmly, pulling Atlanta close to him.

"I'm falling for you." She responded, wrapping her arms around him.

They pulled back to look at each other, their bond restored. Something passed between them then, and it seemed as though there was nothing left to do but the cheesy, clichéd and long-awaited obvious.

As far as Archie was concerned, it didn't feel at all new or different when he kissed her. He had, after all, done so thousands of times in his dreams. But for him and for Atlanta as well, it felt nice and it felt special and, more than anything, it felt right. And, although neither of them had ever believed in destiny where the prophecy was not concerned, it seemed evident to the both of them that there was no other or better alternative to this.

And that it had, after all, been inevitable.

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**Heh... uh... sorry about the incredibly cheesy and not at all AxA like ending. xD **

**Thanks for reading, and happy holidays everyone! :)**


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